The Chalkboard » Healthy Recipeshttp://thechalkboardmag.com
A study in living well from Pressed JuiceryTue, 31 Mar 2015 10:00:54 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.5Big Snacks, Tiny Kitchen: An Epic Crostini Board Inside This Adorable Cottagehttp://thechalkboardmag.com/giant-crostini-board-at-the-tiny-canal-cottage
http://thechalkboardmag.com/giant-crostini-board-at-the-tiny-canal-cottage#commentsMon, 30 Mar 2015 10:00:24 +0000http://thechalkboardmag.com/?p=73293Last time we were inside Whitney Leigh Morris' adorable Venice canal cottage, we couldn't help but notice one of her perfect kitchen accessories: a giant wooden cheese board half as tall as she is. (See the photo here, leaning beneath Whitney's hand.)Everything inside Whitney's tiny cottage has it's place - and every place is gorgeous. Whitney's art director style is right up our alley: organic, earthy, luxurious-feeling and ultra-organized. Making good use of every nook and cranny in the 362 square foot space, Whitney keeps this giant wooden cheese board leaned up against her kitchen island. As soon as we spotted it, we were inspired: inside this simple cottage, this giant cheese board was just begging to be transformed into one of our favorite things - an Heirloom crostini station.Heirloom LA, the farm-to-table caterers we're absolutely obsessed with, are famous for their elaborate crostini stations. Their hyper-local, inventive cuisine is best displayed in these fantastical cheese board-meets-crudite spreads we run into at parties across the city. Think seasonal veggies, fresh spreads, homemade crackers, edible flowers, artisan cheeses and responsibly-sourced charcuterie - all displayed in an explosion of colors and flavors we can usually be found hovering over. We asked Heirloom founders Tara Maxey and chef Matthew Poley to meet us at Whitney's for an afternoon at the tiny canal cottage to bring our crostini station dreams to life.After unloading container after container of roasted veggies, pickled veggies, edible flowers and herbs, sauces, dips andhandmade crackers, we watched as Chef Matthew filled the cheese board one step at a time with layer after messy layer of perfect bites. Everything Heirloom sources comes from local farms and ranches - and even their own garden. Even the cups and spoons they used to layer the crostini elements were special: recycled banana leaf bowls and cups made from fallen leaves included. Everything Matthew made was delicious, but we asked him to share this apple salad specifically. It's hard to find something new to do with apples, and this salad is exceptional - spicy, fresh and ready for warm weather entertaining! Drool over the photos above and try this salad at home on a cheese plate of your own...
This apple pepper salad makes a lovely accompaniment to an appetizer or cheese platter, as a snack or light lunch or prequel to a meal if you add a few greens.
You can substitute stone fruit (once summer hits) for the apples, and mint for the basil, and cherries for the peppers. Also, watermelon can be used instead of apples - just add a little cayenne or jalapeño. The important thing is to balance the acid (lemon or lime juice) with the sweetness of the fruit. You can add toasted and chopped nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, etc) to this as well. Enjoy!]]>http://thechalkboardmag.com/giant-crostini-board-at-the-tiny-canal-cottage/feed0Just Eat It: The Gluten-Free Flour Everyone Should Be Baking Withhttp://thechalkboardmag.com/just-eat-it-why-coconut-flour-is-the-gluten-free-item-to-bake-with
http://thechalkboardmag.com/just-eat-it-why-coconut-flour-is-the-gluten-free-item-to-bake-with#commentsThu, 26 Mar 2015 09:56:52 +0000http://thechalkboardmag.com/?p=72874Coconut flour has become the new "it" food. Packed with nutrients, it can be found in an array of food items from pancakes to muffins, offering a healthy alternative for those who follow a gluten-free and paleo lifestyle.
Coconut flour is made by drying and finely grinding coconut meat, and is the natural byproduct of coconut milk production. Coconut flour is high in dietary fiber, protein and specialized fats, and is a naturally gluten-free food. It is also low in sugar and calories, making it the perfect food for balancing blood sugar and maintaining a healthy weight.
The best part? The taste. Coconut flour provides a relatively neutral base for both sweet and savory recipes and does not overpower other flavors. It does have a slightly sweet flavor - which we just feels adds an extra dimension to our favorite baked goods. One thing to note, though, is its density. While seemingly light and airy, once baked it can be quite heavy and dry - so make sure to add extra ingredients that increase moisture (like eggs or applesauce).
Not sold on the nutrient profile and taste factor alone? Here are five other reasons to switch your wheat flour for coconut and start adding this incredible superfood into your diet...
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How to get it: Coconut flour can be found in most health food markets, either in bulk or in pre-packaged baking products. We use Nutiva Coconut Flour for baking bread, pizza crust and crepes, but have been loving ProCakes Protein Pancake mix for making muffins, pancakes and waffles. To get started, try this killer recipe for Coconut Flour Protein Pancakes with Raspberry Chia Jam from ProCakes.
[olists num=2]]]>http://thechalkboardmag.com/just-eat-it-why-coconut-flour-is-the-gluten-free-item-to-bake-with/feed3Ghee Pancakes: Why You Should Eat More Butterhttp://thechalkboardmag.com/what-is-ghee-why-you-should-eat-more-butter
http://thechalkboardmag.com/what-is-ghee-why-you-should-eat-more-butter#commentsWed, 25 Mar 2015 10:27:23 +0000http://thechalkboardmag.com/?p=73172Thinking of butter as a taboo food is such a thing of the past. A short-lived past at that. For millenia butter has been prized in diets across the globe as a health food staple.
If you've snubbed butter for years or have indulged in it, but felt guilty every time, we have the best news for you. We're giving butter a second look and talking to one small batch ghee producer named Tava who is letting us in on everything we've been wanting to hear. Get to know all about ghee, a deeply nourishing, traditional food - and remember that eating is believing: these pancakes are revelatory.
Tava actually makes ghee in flavors as well: pink salt, green chile, vanilla.Bulletproof Coffee drinkers - get into it, we've already tried it and it's incredible!
The Chalkboard Magazine: Can we simply start with talking about what ghee is?
Raquel Tavares Gunsagar: Ghee is an ancient Indian pantry staple used in cooking and in ayurveda (a holistic Indian medicinal practice). It's the way butter was once served, in the form of clarified butter. I like to call it a butter reduction that's been filtered through a sieve. The boiling removes the water and the filtering removes the dairy solids, leaving a lactose-free oil that has powerful health benefits that's easy to cook with.
TCM: We've been talking a lot about butter lately. What is the nutritional value? Most of us have been taught to view butter as a ridiculous indulgence.RTG: Butter alone has health benefits that it shares with its cousin, ghee. Some butter benefits, namely in grass-fed butter, include: possible lowered risk of heart disease due to the K-2 vitamin, which essentially de-calcifies the arteries; more heart-saving benefits from the high omega-3 fatty acid content; and better digestion via the high butyrate content, an acid that has also been proven to lower inflammation.
However, the pivotal fact is that these benefits come from butter made from the milk of grass-fed cows. Ghee is better because it's the purest form of butter so you will get more benefits in less quantity. Butter is also acidic to body, whereas ghee is alkalizing. Ghee also has benefits when applied topically to the skin, and when used in the ayurvedic modality. When taken with medicine or herbs, those doses are better absorbed into the body. Ghee is also lactose free, casein free, shelf stable, ridiculously easy to cook with due to its high smoke point and is the best part of butter. It's the better butter.
TCM: Ghee is considered a therapeutic food in some traditions. What has it been used for therapeutically?RTG: Ghee can be used topically on the skin for skin abrasions, wounds and chapped lips, or as a facial moisturizer. In ayurveda, it's used in massage, as well as daily cleansing by taking specific dosed amounts orally. It's also used to mix with herbs that help balance and detox the body in a Indian product called Chavanprash.
It can be used in the morning in hot milk or coffee as an easy way to calm the bowels and to prompt bowel movement or taken at night with warm milk to calm the nerves. It is also known to increase longevity and slow the aging process.
TCM: Your flavored ghees are amazing. We used the vanilla ghee to make "Bulletproof" coffee. Is buttered coffee a popular topic for your team?RTG: Oh yes! We like to put our butter in just about anything. We have even made salad dressing with it, but nothing is better than the Bulletproof coffee with our vanilla bean ghee.
TCM: Would you share a recipe with us for one of the flavored ghees?RTG: I love to make pumpkin pancakes and cook them in either the Himalayan salt ghee for a crunchy salty sweet pancake or in the vanilla bean ghee for a sweet delish and healthy treat. I would recommend it to just anyone!

what is ghee

]]>http://thechalkboardmag.com/what-is-ghee-why-you-should-eat-more-butter/feed5Acorn Squash Tacos + Non-GMO Tortillas From Petty Cashhttp://thechalkboardmag.com/acorn-squash-tacos-non-gmo-tortilla-recipe
http://thechalkboardmag.com/acorn-squash-tacos-non-gmo-tortilla-recipe#commentsTue, 24 Mar 2015 10:00:53 +0000http://thechalkboardmag.com/?p=71263Only in Los Angeles can your Taco Tuesday obsession be this clean. Petty Cash in West Hollywood is a local favorite and a must-taste destination for visiting foodies, but it's so much more than a cool kid hang. This casual, but innovative street food restaurant, a collaboration between celebrated Chef Walter Manzke (Republique) and restaurateur Bill Chait (Bestia, Sotto), is setting the pace other foodie hotspots by using top local, seasonal and eco-friendly ingredients right on down to their GMO-free corn tortillas.
About GMOs: when it comes to genetically modified organism foods corn is one of the worst offenders - quite the bummer, since it's in so many of our favorite snacks and entrees. Petty Cash, however, is one of the first to marry our love for Mexican food and responsible dining by making their own fresh, non-GMO tortillas.
Not near L.A? Good news - you can whip up Petty Cash's non-GMO tortillas yourself! Try Chef Manzke's recipe - then take it up a notch by using them to create the restaurant's OMG-inducing acorn squash tacos at home...]]>http://thechalkboardmag.com/acorn-squash-tacos-non-gmo-tortilla-recipe/feed3Dessert First: A Berry Meringue Recipe From Malibu Farmhttp://thechalkboardmag.com/berry-meringue-dessert-recipe-malibu-farm
http://thechalkboardmag.com/berry-meringue-dessert-recipe-malibu-farm#commentsTue, 24 Mar 2015 09:59:48 +0000http://thechalkboardmag.com/?p=73244This is one of the most fun-to-make dessert recipes we've seen in a while! Last week, Helene of Malibu Farm showed us how to whip up this meringue dessert inside Jenni Kayne's kitchen and it was so fun to watch we can't wait to make it at home.
The meringue is whipped, spread on a baking sheet, tossed with gorgeous fillings and gently folded up like a jelly roll. The creamy insides and perfectly toasted meringue edges are the perfect way to show off spring's new crop of berries.
Consider this for Easter brunch or for your first al fresco dinner of the season. Be sure to check out all the other recipes here and over on ripplustan!]]>http://thechalkboardmag.com/berry-meringue-dessert-recipe-malibu-farm/feed1Burrata, Pears + Juice Shots: Easter Brunch with Jenni Kayne And Malibu Farmhttp://thechalkboardmag.com/easter-brunch-with-jenni-kayne-and-malibu-farm
http://thechalkboardmag.com/easter-brunch-with-jenni-kayne-and-malibu-farm#commentsMon, 23 Mar 2015 10:00:43 +0000http://thechalkboardmag.com/?p=73203Spring has barely begun and already we're thinking of Easter. After such a long winter, the thought of fresh flowers and spring pastels seems too good to be true.
Last week, we gathered in Jenni Kayne's kitchen for yet another cooking class with a favorite L.A. chef. This time, Helene Henderson of Malibu Farm came to teach us some of the delicious, farm-sourced dishes we love from her gorgeous cafe on the coast.
All of L.A. has fallen in love with Malibu Farm, Helene's restaurant on the Malibu Pier that is everything you want a Malibu beach spot to be. The locally-brewed espresso and green juice flow while surfers and celebrities alike pour in from the coves. Every dish at Malibu Farm is sourced from local farms and farmer's markets and Helene's own home farm is just minutes away along the PCH. The style of cooking in Helene's kitchen is very Sweden-meets-the-California-coast, in other words perfect brunch food. We asked Helene to teach us a few recipes from the actual Malibu Farm menu (this burrata and fruit salad!) and a few from her cookbook, The Swedish Table.
To start our class, Jenni passed around shots of Helene's beet and ginger-infused wellness shots. No recipe - sorry! - but the shot tastes like it's just a hop skip and a jump from this Roots 3 juice blend. Our lunch included several salads, one of which was topped with an impressive, but surprisingly simple to make sesame seed candy Helene showed us how to whip up just before serving. We also made these nutrient-dense cauliflower pizzas and a unique pavlova roll cake like we've never seen. Bookmark this dessert for the easiest, most gorgeous finish to your next gathering. We'll be sharing the recipe tomorrow morning.
Jenni had the help of Hollyflora in dressing the outdoor table - these unreal Icelandic poppies in hand-marbled vases needed very little accessorizing. Jenni's table runner is an Etsy find - vintage flour sacks, and the tablesettings are Heath and Nicky Kehoe. Find a few elements to inspire your Easter brunch plans and celebrate the springiest of all holidays like never before! We've never been so glad to see the season arrive.
More of our lunch with Jenni Kayne can be found over at Rip + Tan...
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